A movement unit for a machine tool is disclosed in EP 0 935 511 A1. The prior art relates to a machine tool with a supporting structure in the form of a machine gantry, driven in a direction of travel by two linear motors at the longitudinal ends of the machine gantry. In this case, the machine gantry is supported with each of its longitudinal ends on a feed slide, which is in turn connected with the movable part in the direction of travel of the linear motor in question. To guide the machine gantry in the direction of travel, longitudinal guides extending in the direction of travel are provided for the feed slides, the longitudinal guide for the one feed slide being spaced transversely of the direction of travel from the longitudinal guide of the other feed slide. On the one feed slide the machine gantry is mounted without play transversely of the direction of travel. On the other feed slide the machine gantry is mounted with play transversely of the direction of travel. The bearing which exhibits play, forming a floating bearing for the direction transverse of the direction of travel, comprises on the machine gantry an elongate hole extending with its longitudinal axis transversely of the direction of travel and, on the feed slide in question, a bolt engaging in the elongate hole. The bolt provided on the feed slide is inserted into the elongate hole on the machine gantry without play in the direction of travel.